Alice in Wonderland review

So remember in Pinocchio, how I mentioned that those books in the background were very important. Well here's where they become important. Now that they could continue making films, Walt could make the films he always wanted to make. That film, was this...

In 1951, Walt Disney pictures released, Alice in Wonderland. Based on the books by Lewis Carroll. Like many Disney films, this was one I, and many others, grew up with. This film became very well know just for how weird it is. And I'm not talking Fun and Fancy Free weird. I mean very, very weird. Although that's not a bad thing in this movie's case. So is this film still as good as many say, or is it just a mixed up wonderland? Lets find out?

Story
Our story begins with a young girl named Alice sitting in a tree listening to, well I don't really who. The movie never really tells us, so I don't know if it's her mother, her sister, her nanny, but lets move on. Alice eventually sneaks away to play in a lay in a field of flowers with her cat dina. After a song, a very famous scene happens. Alice sees the White Rabbit. A rabbit carrying a watch and is apparently late for something. Curiosity gets the best of Alice and she follows the white rabbit. After going into a rabbit hole and going very, very, far down, she ends up in what I'm guessing is the entrance to wonderland. So after she solves a growing puzzle with a talking doorknob, she ends up in wonderland. A land so weird it's unexplainable. While trying to find the white rabbit, and at the same time tries to leave wonderland, she meets colorful characters like Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, The Mad Hatter and The March Hare, and the Queen of Hearts. Who ironically, the white rabbit works for. So after so cool music, well used humor, and strange characters, Alice escapes wonderland only to find out it's a dream. This story is weird, but fun. One notable thing about most of the characters is they have little development. Normally, that's a bad thing, but here it actually works. You see, it makes sense they don't have much development, because wonderland is a world of nonsense, where characters are silly and crazy, nothing else. It really does work, and makes for some good laughs.

Animation
Here the animation is much more cartoony than usual. From the ocean, to the Mad Hatter tea party, to the queen of hearts castle, everything is colorful and really comes alive. What I like about the animation is how Alice is realistic, while everything else has that classic cartoon, and almost Chuck Jones and Tex Avery feel. A big step up for Disney.

Background Info
Not much to talk about here. I will say that they did what Cinderella did. They acted out the scenes in live-action before animating it. On its release,
it was not well received. It received lackluster reviews, and even Walt Disney himself didn't like it! Yes, you heard me right! Walt Disney. The man who wanted to make this film so much that he wanted it to be his first film instead of Snow White. Did not like his own work. Why and how I don't know. The movie wouldn't get the praise it deserved until it go re-released in the 1970's. I think it's obvious why the people of the 70's liked it more than the people of the 50's. Speaking of which, there are a lot of drug references in the movie. I heard that it's because Walt Disney was an open smoker and he also took a lot of drugs. I think it's most obvious with the caterpillar.

Final Thoughts
To this day, Alice in Wonderland remains a classic film and one of Disney's best works. Yeah Walt was high when he made this film but somehow he made a great film. It's colorful, fun, musical, and beautiful. I'm giving Alice in Wonderland a 9/10. A good film but not all the characters have that much personality. Join me next time as I review another hinted at film from Pinocchio.